[PF] Help me convince my party that we don't need a healbot

[The Grue]

Gearing up for a PF E6 campaign. 4-man party consists of Gunslinger, Kensai Magus, Barbarian, and God-Wizard(me).

Some players are having difficulty shaking the Olde Schoole D&D mindset and have expressed concern that we lack a healbot. I've tried to explain that, actually, it's a lot easier to prevent damage through battlefield control and debuffs(which is why I'm in the party) than to reactively heal damage, but I don't seem to be getting through.

I off-handedly offered to take Arcane Disciple instead of Improved Initiative as my starting feat, conditional on the GM accepting and adapting the feat to Pathfinder, so that I could pick the Healing domain and use wands to cast CLW, but since I'd be reducing my god-wizard efficiency for the peace of mind of others I'd not be the one purchasing the wands. This proposal was rejected because, apparently, it would be akin to the Gunslinger charging a price for every enemy he kills.

So, Playgrounders, please help me do one of the following:


Find a way to accomplish token heal-bottery to make the less-secure players feel better, preferably without sacrificing my enjoyment of the game
Convince them that, actually, the Healer/Fighter/Caster/Skillmonkey 4-man band hasn't been relevant since second edition and they really don't need to be worried


One final clarification: The tone of this post may sound dismissive and condescending, but only because I'm currently a little annoyed at one specific individual, and because I'm saying this in the safety of an internet community he does not frequent. I've made an effort to be reasonable and civil in all discussions to this point, and I want to continue to do so.

[eggynack]

How about, instead of them paying for the wands, you just split the cost or alternate who purchases the thing. Alternatively, you could just have the magus put points into umd. Also, while in combat healing is sub-optimal, out of combat healing isn't something that's demonstrably incorrect for them to want. Alternatively if there's a particular problem player who's saying they really want a healer in the party, tell them to take over the job by playing a cleric and taking up wand duty. It's not your job to take roles in a party to satisfy other player's insecurity. If you don't want to heal stuff, that's not something that you need to convince other people isn't necessary. Just don't heal stuff and let them figure it out.

[JohnnyD]

Purchasing a few wands of Cure Light Wounds to begin with will get them comfortable to begin with.

How do you plan to heal attribute damage?

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

I agree, if the other people want a healer in the party, one of them should make a healer or alter their build to be able to UMD their way to the wands which, then, become their responsibility to purchase.

That said, I also agree that their are legitimate reasons a party would want a "healer" in the sense of a divine caster. Out-of-combat healing is important if the DM isn't necessarily willing to just let the party rest whenever and wherever, and ability damage can be nasty without somebody who can readily heal it.

[PlusSixPelican]

Tell one of them to build an Oracle or stop complaining. If they want one, they can play one. ^_^

I say Oracle because they have more spells/day, and spontaneously heal and can party-face with all that primary charisma stat.

[lord_khaine]

Well, to be honest the party would need some sort of healing, though at the lower levels a couple of wands should be enough.

But in your case i would tell the rest of the party to either shut up and reroll as a healbot themself, or else accept that healing wands will be bought from party funds.

[eggynack]

Essentially, you've constructed a false dichotomy. The other player said that your party needed a healer, and for some reason that means that you have a problem. In a choice between option A), or option B), I'd rather pick option C) which involves doing absolutely nothing. The other player has a problem, and you disagree that it is a problem, but that doesn't make the problem your problem. If someone says that the party absolutely needs a healer, just tell them to be a healer, and keep having your wizard happy fun times. If your problem is that you don't want one of the other players to make sub-optimal decisions, that's not really your problem either. Besides, it's not like a cleric is going to be the weak man out in that party.

[Bhaakon]

Or you could just learn infernal healing (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/i/infernal-healing) (which is on both the magus and wizard lists).

There are still some other healing blind spots, but E6 all but rules out Restoration anyway, and the heal skill can help with poisons, diseases, and ability damage (but not drain).

[Sith_Happens]

Or you could just learn infernal healing (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/i/infernal-healing) (which is on both the magus and wizard lists).


Ooh, did someone say "Lesser Vigor in Pathfinder?" There's your wand right there.

[The Boz]

If they want one, they can play one. ^_^


I would go with this.

[Chained Birds]

Or you could just learn infernal healing (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/i/infernal-healing) (which is on both the magus and wizard lists).

There are still some other healing blind spots, but E6 all but rules out Restoration anyway, and the heal skill can help with poisons, diseases, and ability damage (but not drain).

Really, this is the your wand right here. No need to change your build or anything.

Ability Damage will be a problem, but someone investing in the Heal skill can go a long way. Not really you, but anyone else with a High or decent Wisdom Mod can probably do it, even if they have to cross-class a little.

[mephnick]

The funny part is that the one complaining was the oracle in our last campaign (I'm the DM) and played it like a healbot because he assumed we needed one. The party almost always used wands and stuff anyway, he mostly stood around casting buffs/debuffs.

Maybe he just wants someone else to suffer the boredom of healing?

[Vultawk]

What about everyone buys potions of CLW? It may not be very cost-effective compared to other options, but Liquid Cleric is a way to get healing if they feel they need it (and it's zero calories).

[JusticeZero]

For HP recovery alone out of combat, it's cheaper to buy a wand than it is to pay someone to throw heals who isn't contributing otherwise. A Clericzilla is contributing mightily to the adventure, but they won't have a lot of healing to spare! Their share will be more than the cost of the wands.
The same is true of status effects. When you need your levels and whatnot restored, you probably need a lot of them at once, and so your healer will have wanted to use a wand anyways.
In combat healing and patching of status effects is useful, but not useful enough to devote an entire character to it.
There is something minor to be said for having someone who can save money by being able to make the wands themselves, I suppose.

[navar100]

It's not a weakness for someone to be a heal-bot. Being a heal-bot is not all about healing. It's really party support. It's a legitimate tactic to be the one who helps others get the kill as opposed to doing it yourself.

If you don't want to play the "heal-bot" you don't have to. You can make your own choice on what class to play. If you don't think you need one, fine, that's your business. If someone else wants one, that's his business. Let him play one or someone else who thinks they need one. If everyone chooses not to anyway, that doesn't force you to play one.

[Fouredged Sword]

Play a Sadist Lifeleech Vitalist. Yes you heal people, and you do it well, but really it is all about getting things to break by looking at them.

Vigor buff your allies with tons of temp HP, Share Pain link everyone to the biggest monster.

Get Deaden the Blow, and Network metapower. Steel life for all you are worth, and make it nearly impossible to kill anyone in the party with massive damage mitigation.

Be an Elan. Elan are cool.

[angry_bear]

If they want a healer, it's up to them to roll up another character, or invited a new player. Why should you heal because they want a healer exactly?

[Big Fau]

Have them read the Band-Aids for Dummies (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1520.0) handbook. While not everything in it is relevant to PF, it's still a good read for anyone who doesn't understand action-efficient healing.

[Sylthia]

It's a good idea to have someone capable of healing, even if it's just wand+UMD. It doesn't necessarily need to be you. You could even have your DM add an NPC if they are adamant about having a healer. In my last campaign, I had an NPC Oracle whose primary job was healing and buffing with the occasional offensive spell.

(I know people hate DMNPCs, but 90% of the time I let someone else run him during combat anyway.)